Expert Penetration Tester

The Amatriot Group; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 200,000 - 215,000; Full time

Job summary

The Amatriot Group is seeking an experienced Expert Penetration Tester to lead advanced security assessments, guide a small team, and contribute to the development of testing strategies across systems and applications. Hybrid work in Washington, DC, with three days onsite, offers exposure to federal-style controls (NIST SP 800-53, FedRAMP) and collaboration with executives.

You will mentor junior testers, run Purple Team exercises, and translate complex findings into actionable risk remediation

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field. [Required]
• 8+ years of cybersecurity and penetration testing experience. [Required]
• Active DOE Q-Clearance or Top Secret (TS) equivalent, or eligible to obtain. [Required]
• Strong proficiency in vulnerability analysis, risk remediation, and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Lead and perform advanced security assessments, including hands-on penetration testing of systems and applications.
• Identify vulnerabilities, assess risks, and deliver clear, actionable remediation recommendations.
• Develop and maintain assessment plans aligned with NIST SP 800-53 and FedRAMP Cloud Security Controls.
• Execute security assessments according to defined plans and document findings accurately and promptly.
• Design, develop, and maintain tools and scripts to automate and enhance penetration testing activities.
• Manage and mentor a small team of junior penetration testers, providing technical guidance and training.
• Build and lead a Purple Team to perform joint red/blue team exercises with customer sites.
• Communicate technical findings effectively to technical teams and executive stakeholders.
• Support secure systems operations and maintenance, including security validation and accreditation activities.

Skills

Vulnerability analysis

Risk remediation

Reporting

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Linux

Tenable Nessus

Forescout

Carbon Black

Invicti

Scythe

Rubrik

Fidelis

Job description

Location: Washington, DC

Security Clearance: Active DOE Q-Clearance or Top Secret (TS) equivalent or eligible to obtain.

Job Type: Full-Time

Target Salary Range*: $200,000 - $215,000

• This represents the potential salary range for this position depending on education level, years of experience and/or certifications in addition to other position specific requirements which may impact salary

Position Overview

Amatriot is seeking an experienced Expert Penetration Tester to lead advanced security assessments and contribute to the development and execution of penetration testing strategies. This role combines hands-on testing with leadership, mentoring, and collaboration across cybersecurity disciplines.

Work Location: Hybrid, DC (3 days per week onsite)

Key Responsibilities

Security Assessments and Penetration Testing

• Lead and perform advanced security assessments, including hands-on penetration testing of systems and applications.
• Identify vulnerabilities, assess risks, and deliver clear, actionable remediation recommendations.
• Develop and maintain assessment plans aligned with NIST SP 800-53 and FedRAMP Cloud Security Controls.
• Execute security assessments according to defined plans and document findings accurately and promptly.

Tools and Automation

• Design, develop, and maintain tools and scripts to automate and enhance penetration testing activities.

Team Leadership and Collaboration

• Manage and mentor a small team of junior penetration testers, providing technical guidance and training.
• Build and lead a Purple Team to perform joint red/blue team exercises with customer sites.
• Communicate technical findings effectively to technical teams and executive stakeholders.

Security Operations and Risk Management

• Support secure systems operations and maintenance, including security validation and accreditation activities.
• Analyze and mitigate system security threats throughout the lifecycle, including risk assessments and implementation of security engineering controls.
• Ensure compliance with business continuity, operations security, insider threat detection, physical security analysis, and regulatory requirements.

QualificationsEducation

• Bachelor's degree in a related field. [Required]

Experience

• 8+ years of relevant experience in cybersecurity and penetration testing, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. [Required]

Clearance

• Active DOE Q-Clearance or Top Secret (TS) equivalent, or eligible to obtain. [Required]

Skills

• Strong proficiency in vulnerability analysis, risk remediation, and reporting.
• Ability to clearly replicate vulnerabilities and provide actionable mitigation steps.
• Familiarity with Linux, Tenable Nessus, Forescout, Carbon Black, Invicti, Scythe, Rubrik, and Fidelis.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present technical findings to executive audiences.

Preferred QualificationsCertifications

• OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional)
• OSCE (Offensive Security Certified Expert)
• CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker)
• CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional)